The Timbre of Their Screams
by ScarletEvolution
Summary: "There was a music to them, he thinks. The three-tone chime of Mikey's laugh, the duet of Don's half-moon smile and velveteen eyes, the power ballad of Raph fighting as his muscles waltzed beneath his skin." - A musically-inspired death-ficlet. R&R. MAIN CHARACTER DEATH. Abandon all hope, ye who enters here, etc.


_A/N: Hello Darlings. It appears I'm now slightly addicted to death-fics. I apologize immensely for the feels. Also, this fic is musically-oriented, but I can't even play the triangle. So I'm just saying if I used any of these musical words incorrectly, just GENTLY tell me what I did wrong. Thanks._

 _Disclaimer: I don't own the turtles, I simply enjoy talking to my friends about them. The majority have no idea what I'm talking about, but that's okay._

 _Warning: Violins, violence, A LOT OF DEATH. ALMOST ENTIRELY MAIN CHARACTERS. *starts singing Taylor Swift* Don't say I didn't, say I didn't warn you!_

* * *

Horror-movie music blares through the tense back-alley - someone's five dollar rental. The whole world feels on edge, teetering towards freefall. Raph cracks his shoulders, then right down his spine. He's the conductor here - and he runs the orchestra of this dead-end town. With the quivering treble of a mugging gone wrong, the city erupts into a heavy-metal nightmare.

Leo arrives as the gun goes off. There is a choir of sighs - it doesn't look like he's been hit - until Raph turns, both hands clawed to his chest. Opens his mouth to choke out the low tenor of an apology, and out comes a river of blood. Leo plummets off the fire-escape, a wailing high note of anger and grief and tears burning through his blood.

Raphael's scream tapers off into a grinding solo of gritted teeth and snarled prayers; his eyes turn heaven-ward - towards his brother - he's looking for a savior, but finds only a death sentence.

* * *

Don's fingers flutter over the keyboard, a technological pianist. The tap-tap of the keys is a frantic fanfare against the symphony of battle. His hands give one last flourish, a satisfied whistle of air trilling past his victorious smile. Leo glances up to see a barber-shop quartet of sharp alien smiles. The opening chords of a warning are ripped from his throat, but it's too late.

Don doesn't see the carefully exposed wire - a stripped-back death trap - his mind is still dancing to the music of a job well done. The surge of power plays an electric riff on his body. _Tricked._ Leo runs forward, his cry of loss mirroring his brother's pain; one third of his heart lies broken on the floor.

Donatello's last scream singes the air, a final, blood-curdling concession - he was good, but they were better.

* * *

With rooftops bathed in moonlight and laughter, Mikey dances to the beat of the night. He's laughing loudest, and it sounds like the chorus of a song sung by angels. Mikey dips into the shadows for barely a moment, and when he comes out, there's a knife pressed to the violin curve of his neck.

The curtain falls, and Leo's mind descends into a chaos of alarm bells and brass instruments screaming for breath. A wind-chime of shuriken pierce the gloved hand, but the slit is already opening on his throat like a second smile. Leo catches him as he falls, the pain already cataclysmic.

Michelangelo's final scream rings out and dies in a gurgle of blood; the tortured melody of hope deserting the world.

* * *

Leo jerks upright, a sharp breath scorching his lungs. Tears rip a trembling note from his shuddering chest, but he chokes the pain back inside himself. There's nothing left now - a crumpled and empty music sheet that's been thrown in the fire. It takes him an era to walk into the dojo.

 _There was a music to them,_ he thinks. _The three-tone chime of Mikey's laugh, the duet of Don's half-moon smile and velveteen eyes, the power ballad of Raph fighting as his muscles waltzed beneath his skin._ Leo ties their masks around his bicep, their fluttering like the last strums of a sad sad song.

He takes out his sword, and holds it tight in a two-hand grip. The metal tip is cool against his plastron. And the pain was the twang of guitar strings breaking, of drum skins bursting, of notes fracturing midair.

Leonardo doesn't say a word as he slides the sword in - his silence a thousand love-songs for his brothers - and he cries, his pounding heart a backbeat to the timbre of their screams.

* * *

 _A/N: Right... in the fandom... *dies* Willowspring1 runs in *frantically begins performing CPR* "ScarletEvolution, this is the second time in two days. Ya muppet."_

 _Anyway, please R &R, I'm a selfish being and I crave praise. _

_Flames will be used in 2k12 Raph's eyes when he gets angry. I absolutely love how they incorporated anime style features into it. It just makes everything cuter._


End file.
